Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

 Goodreads Blurb

Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2).
'I pause to look around the hive - all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories ... I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.'
Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend ... and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.
Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves.

Why hello you interestingly beautiful book.

The thing about Level 2 that surprised me was that it was balanced somewhat between fantasy and sci-fi, mythology and religion. It was...impressive, yet odd at the same time. It seemed sci-fi because of the "hives" and the gases, the reason why these rebels had had "powers", and all that, but at the same time it was fantasy because, well, angels. That is all I'm saying because you'll just have to read and find out for yourself! The religious/mythology thing is because the gases? They're from the rivers of Hades which is only mentioned in Greek Mythology--the Lethe, Acheron, and some others I can't remember, while most of the memories we see with Felicia take place in a church and we contemplate if there really is a Level 3 (i.e. heaven) or...down there. So honestly? This book is almost a contradiction in itself!

Speaking of contradictions, Julian and Neil. Oh. My. Gosh. I'm not sure if I should dislike both of them, or love both of them! I mean, they were both pretty adorable love interests (Forever Team Julian. Seriously. I seem to always be pulled toward the bad boys!), but...well Julian? Oh, he's a liar. I really wanted to kick his ass sometimes and the one time he decided to be honest was when I didn't want him to (near the end, with...hmm. I can't say.), but that made me love him more if anything! I just can't believe how Julian had played Autumn and I hurt for her, I really did. 

Neil, on the other hand, was perfect. Too perfect. A guy like that doesn't exist! I discovered no faults whatsoever and he always greeted everything with a smile and said the perfect things and he was just...flawless. And I really do hate when a girl thinks she's not good enough for a guy. If a guy thinks that way, then obviously he's not worth you. Oh my, did that just sound like one of those lines in a booklet?

And, I just want to say, there isn't really a love triangle at all! So anyone who was shying away from this book because of that, no fear! But I can't say why though, in case of spoilers!

I loved the memory flashbacks. Period. They were engaging and I loved how important they were to everyone in Level 2, not only because of credits. When reading them, I couldn't set the book down because I absolutely needed to know why this particular memory(ies) was important and why it was included. This is also how we mainly get a feel for Neil's character. 

I loved getting more in depth with the characters, and I think the way Lenore Appelhans wrote Level 2 gives us more...feeling for Felicia's character. I can't explain it, but I felt like I understood Felicia more than I have other characters. Not to say she wasn't annoying a few times, she was! But I think that's more my fault than the book's--for some reason I've been having trouble with characters lately...

The plot was sometimes overridden by the memories and it was a bit slow in the beginning, but it was still an enticing read that I almost read in one sitting (two, only because I realized it was midnight and I had school!) and couldn't get enough of! It was fast paced after a certain point and the ending!

Oh. My. Gosh. PLOT TWIST. I did not expect that...though I realize now I really should've!

Pages:288

Genre: Sci fi/Fantasy

Series: Level 2#1

Publisher: Simon and Schuster BFYR

Release Date: Jan 15, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Goodreads Blurb

You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

How many of us have been absolutely dying for this? ME! So I threw out all my rules about not getting ARCs about books I was going to buy (because my family has a rule of not buying hardbacks if I have an ARC. It's worked. So far.) and immediately traded for this! 

I started this in Nov. 30, then put it down, not because it was bad (I actually liked it a lot!) but because I got a book I'd really wanted to read, and because the way the story was executed...wasn't so good. And I was a bit disappointed, I guess. Don't get me wrong, the writing wasn't horrible at all! The plot wasn't that bad (besides being a bit rushed--someone gets killed about 1-2 chapters in, and there were so rash decisions), but...there would be characters mentioned that we wouldn't know and we had to figure it out ourselves. If this is one of those books where we peek into someone's life, it would make sense--if they new their own brother and sister they wouldn't think "my sister, Ehm", but as a book to be read, it was hard for me to grasp a hold on this new reality I was being introduced to. 

The worldbuilding was actually a little loose sometimes and I had all these questions about the world that were still left unanswered, and I'm hoping they're answered in DIVIDED, book 2! But I was just...disappointed that a book that seemed to set in such an intriguing world didn't focus on it at all.

And the character...West was just so hardheaded and rash and sometimes she acted like a brat. She made a lot, a lot, of insanely bad decisions that I knew would bite her in the butt later on. Also, even though she was supposedly a great killer and shot, almost every person she killed wasn't a clean death. She had to shoot them twice, or SOMETHING.

But that doesn't mean to say that I absolutely hated and despised it! As if. What I liked was that i didn't really concentrate on the romance at all (which didn't actually have much development...not that I minded much! Our love interest was pretty  awesome and I LOVED him!) and focused more on the plot and West's Alt, which definitely held me spellbound. West was definitely in danger as a striker and an active. Honestly, I'm not sure how she survived! But West is nothing if efficient with her weapons! 

And despite all I said up top (but really. I didn't connect with West. At all. And I feel like her brothers should've been named North and South and her sister East or something. That would've been EPIC.) Dualed improved a lot after the first 100 pages or so. Like, a lot. I knew exactly what was happening, the going ons and all, and I started to really appreciate how different it was from other dystopians. Instead of a budding rebellion, or West seeing the government as wrong or evil, she just does what everyone does--with the exception of being a striker of course! But this fact means that DIVIDED can go almost anywhere, because we have no idea what to expect!

I'm hoping that everything I complained about was fixed in the final hardcover edition, but...well, we'll see! In the meantime, I'd still pick this up! Do what I do--read the first 50 pages and, if you like it, buy it! I've found that not many books spiral downhill and usually get better as  you go on!

(As a side note, I think this is one of the series that can be iffy at book one, but get WAY better at book 2!)

Pages: 304

Genre: Dystopian

Series: Dualed #1

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Release Date: February 26

Rating: 2.5--->3 stars

I'm BACK!

HEY GUYS! I'm BACCCCKKKKKKKKK!

A few things:

• I ended up blogging even throughout my hiatus. 
• I have no idea what to do in my spare time without the rush of blogging
• Apparently sitting next to a sick classmate in math will result in you getting sick. Who knew? *coughs* 
• I hate sore throats
• I'll be doing a 3 week STS next Sunday
• I realized I was two months ahead on scheduling *pats self*
• It's possible to have an emotional breakdown while reading. 
• I really, really, really LOVE all you guys

Tomorrow a review of Dualed! Expect it! :)

Man, these posts are always so short.

Also, just had to throw this in: How was Valentine's Day? Meet a new guy? Read a good book? Stuffed yourself with chocolate?

I was the third one.

HIATUS!

Hey guys! Sorry to throw this on you, but remember when I hit rock bottom about 5 months ago? It made me realize how much of a hiatus I needed and well...here's the post. Sorry guys, but I'm going to be MIA until the 16th! Yes, 2 weeks. Hey. I threatened half a year before! Be thankful! LOVE you guys, but you know how school is. Also, I feel awkward sometimes when I post a review on Valentine's. Or any holiday. Like on Thanksgiving. I was just like "errr...should I post something else?" but whatever. I'm rambling. I'll be back! But for now...
BYE!!!
-Nikki

Also, I have some of the most epic reviews after this.

VENOM READALONG WINNERS

Hey guys! Here are the winners of the VENOM READALONG GIVEAWAY! (With URLs, instead of names. :P)

Swag Packs

www.read-a-holicz.blogspot.com

http://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com

http://booksasyouknowit.blogspot.com

Signed Venom Hardback

http://jamiekrakover.blogspot.com

Signed Belladonna

www.sparkles-and-lightning.blogspot.com

I know there were a lot more entries, so it looks like some of you guys forgot to link up and enter! Tsktsk! 

And surprisingly, Annabelle won the Belladonna giveaway! I was in charge of the giveaways, in case anyone's suspicious of this win. A stroke of luck lol! I hope everyone had fun with this and enjoyed some VENOMness! 

DID YOU KNOW I GOT QUOTED IN PENGUIN'S CATALOG FOR VENOM?

Winners, expect an email soon! If you don't get an email within a day, please email me! 

Venom Readalong Week 4: 25-34

ITS THE LAST WEEK! Sadness. But winners will be posted tomorrow over here so check your inboxes SOON! 

I'm so sad this is ending, but it's been fun! 

Did you trust Falco the whole time?

DEFINITELY NOT. I mean...hello? You met him in a GRAVEYARD. But then again, I couldn't really blame Cass for falling for him...

As a whole, did you feel this book was sufficiently creepy and mysterious?

YES. YESYESYES. 

Were you surprised by the ending?

WHAT THE HECK. YES. I was *not* expecting that AT ALL

Do you think Cass made the right decision concerning the boys in the end? Would you do what she did (answer without spoiling!)

I loved it! I mean, she made the decision best for her and it was completely unexpected! Different from most love triangles, I'll say! Seriously. *SURPRISE*

Were you right about the murderer? If not were you surprised?

Ummm, I was dead wrong. Seriously. I had no idea whatsoever. But then, I'm completely dumb when it comes to this. So, YEAH I was surprised!

Now that you've met both, what Team are you? 

Falco. Always and FOREVER. 

What were your immediate thoughts after finishing? 

OMG. WHERE'S BELLADONNA?

So glad you've been with us so far! :D

Check out Fiona Paul's blog here!